David Orth | Pottery

David Orth
Laurel Ridge Pottery

My process begins with a concept. For the last few years, I have pursued a project that I call “Pondering the Pentagon.” Five-sided vessels appeal to me: they appear different from every angle, have no parallel sides, and enjoy mystical associations. I set out to discover how many interesting shapes I could create with five sides. I have eleven so far, and I am no finished yet.

Creating things has always been important to me. I feel most fulfilled when creating something tangible: graphics, watercolors, sculptures and now ceramics. In ceramics, I find myself pulled in two different directions. On one hand, I admire the material, wood-fired and bearing the mark of the fire and ash. When creating forms myself, however, I inevitably tend toward a more refined and perfected look, with thinner walls and simple shapes. I reconcile these opposites by hand building an object from a single, thin porcelain slab and spraying it with layers of fired ceramic.